Nollywood actress Susan Pwajok has literally grown up right in front of so many of us. From a very young age, the actress started acting in the hit Africa Magic television series “The Johnsons” and her work on that show really pushed her name and career to great heights.
However, because Susan was so young, she was insulated from the predatory parts of the entertainment industry. Now, that the actress is older, she is beginning to get sexually harassing comments and invitations from movie directors and people in the business. During a new episode of her podcast “Surviving Lagos”, Susan Pwajok opened up a lot about her experience as a woman in this industry and why it’s not easy. Here is what Susan Pwajok said.
Speaking about her experiences with being séxually harassed by directors now that she’s gotten older, Susan Pwajok said on her show:
I’m young and when I’m saying some things like this, they’re some people who are like “hmm what do you know?” So, because I grew up on the screen, I’ve had like male directors be like “ah! Okay now you’re older, do you accept kissing and intimate roles?” I’m like “what do you mean?”
Obviously it’s your career, you would want to take a role that would help boost your career. But it’s also a thing where it’s like the way you’re saying it, I know it’s not just kissing and intimate roles, like why are you saying this? Then you also have directors that would literally like message you and be like “oh what time are you free? Let’s meet up at my hotel” Like why are we meeting at your hotel sir? There are so many other places we can meet. Why do we have to meet at your hotel? And I get that most businesses are done at like hotels and everything, but it’s not gelling. I’m young. If anything, you should be like let me talk to your manager, you know. You shouldn’t want to meet alone. Why are you trying to meet alone? The camera dey there? Why are we meeting in your hotel room? People don’t know how much women actually struggle in the industry. They just feel like she’s a woman, she will have it easy.
And it’s not every one that wants to open their legs and sleep with people for a role, or a job. Like not everyone actually wants to have sēx for something. Some people just want to work hard and get to the top but people don’t get that. Cuz then I would have conversations with people and they’ll be like oh you’re a lady na, you will have it easy. I’m like what do you mean? How? If anything you [men] have it easy because hardly will you ever hear it that a woman wants to sleep with you.
